Recent Posts
Business, News, Sports
Business, News, Sports
Connect with:
Wednesday / October 15.
  • No products in the cart.
SECTION
logo
mobile-logo
HomeStandard Blog Whole Post (Page 4)
Business, Miscellany, News, Sports

Bob Mackin

FIFA, which projects US$13 billion in 2023 to 2026 revenue, is looking for 3,000 people to volunteer their time to work in Vancouver during the 2026 World Cup.

theBreaker.news has confirmed that the head of Vancouver’s FIFA 26 secretariat billed taxpayers $128,500 during four of the first five months of 2025.

Documents obtained under freedom of information show that Jessie Adcock invoiced Vancouver city hall $39,300 in January, $37,500 in March, $33,750 in April and $18,000 in May.

FIFA vice-president Vic Montagliani (left), FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Vancouver host city committee lead Jessie Adcock, Oct. 15, 2024 at B.C. Place Stadium (FIFA)

Neither Adcock nor Natasha Qereshniku, the communications lead for the FIFA secretariat, responded to explain the relatively smaller amount of Adcock’s May invoice.

City’s $300/hour organizer

Through her company, Adcock Capital and Advisory Services, Adcock received $469,804 for all of 2024. That is higher than the $397,354 published in the April-released, annual statement of financial information. Qereshniku previously explained that payments for November and December 2024 were made after the 2024 accounting close-out.

Adcock’s contract was originally set Jan. 8, 2024 at $300-per-hour for an average 25 hours a week and a $270,000 cap through October 2024. However, the deal was quietly extended in July 2024 through the end of the World Cup wind-down phase in September 2026.

Who is Adcock

The former HSBC executive spent eight years in senior roles at city hall from 2013 to 2021, heading the technology and development and licensing departments.

She took a break in 2015 to run unsuccessfully for Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party in the Port Moody-Coquitlam riding. She joined the federal bureaucracy in 2022. First as CEO of the Canadian Digital Service, then as senior assistant deputy minister of the Treasury Board Secretariat and senior advisor to the chief information officer.

More big bucks

Meanwhile, the secretariat’s volunteer program lead Alyssa Reyes will be paid $146,000 over 14 months.

FIFA paid president Gianni Infantino almost US$3 million in 2024.

West Vancouverite Victor Montagliani is a vice-president of FIFA, by virtue of being president of CONCACAF. FIFA’s North and Central American and Caribbean zone reported paying Montagliani almost US$2.9 million in 2023

NEW: Subscribe to theBreaker.news on Substack. Find out how: Click here.

0 Comments

Bob Mackin FIFA, which projects US$13 billion in

Miscellany, News, Sports

It’s Vancouver’s number one annual sports festival and the setting could not be any better than Kitsilano Beach.

theBreaker.news caught up with KitsFest co-founder Howard Kelsey on Aug. 10 — the last day of 2025’s four-day festival. 

Kelsey is already beginning to plan for 2026. 

 

Support theBreaker.news for as low as $2 a month on Patreon. Find out how. Click here.

0 Comments

It's Vancouver's number one annual sports festival

News, Opinion

For the week of Aug. 10, 2025:

What a time to turn 20 for the 2005-founded Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University. 

Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada is testing relationships on both sides of the longest, undefended border on the planet. At a time when Canada and the United States need to work together. 

Laurie Trautman is the director of the Border Policy Research Institute and co-chairs the border issues working group with the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region. 

Trautman joins host Bob Mackin from Bellingham, Wash. on this edition of thePodcast, to talk Trump, trade, transportation, security and soccer. 

Vancouver and Seattle are FIFA World Cup co-hosts next year: Will they be ready to welcome the world?

As usual, Pacific Rim and Pacific Northwest headlines and the Virtual Nanaimo Bar.

CLICK BELOW to listen. Or go to TuneIn, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Have you missed an edition of theBreaker.news Podcast? Go to the archive.

NEW: Subscribe to theBreaker.news on Substack. Find out how: Click here.

theBreaker.news Podcast
theBreaker.news Podcast
thePodcast: Talking Trump, trade, transportation, security and soccer
Loading
/
0 Comments

For the week of Aug. 10, 2025:

Business, News

Bob Mackin

A video on WeChat shows British Columbia’s highest-profile foreign diplomat — who represents Canada’s biggest adversary — breaking the news of his departure to supporters of the Chinese Communist government.

People’s Republic of China Consul-General Yang Shu addressed the sombre room of Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations (CACA) leaders in Richmond. CACA is an umbrella group for more than 100 pro-China business and cultural societies in B.C.

Seated with former chair Chen Yongtao to his right and current chair Chu Yuanzheng to his left, Yang spoke in Mandarin and encouraged them to be “civilian ambassadors.”

Who’s there

Also in attendance: “dollar store king” Johnny Fong, Dawa News publisher Zaixin Ma, ex-CACA chair Xue Xiaomei and ex-vice chair Maria Xu. Yang was accompanied by staff from the consulate, including Chen Qingjie, director for the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, which runs activities for the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) United Front propaganda and influence program.

The video appears to have been shot five days before Yang’s Aug. 2 farewell letter on the consulate website.

What Hogue said

In the final report of the Foreign Interference public inquiry, Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue said China relies on proxies, individuals and organizations so that it can be “the most active perpetrator of foreign interference targeting Canada’s democratic institutions. The PRC views Canada as a high-priority target.”

Who’s next

Zhi Zeng, the vice-consul general, made his first appearance Aug. 3 as the acting consul general during a tribute banquet to Norman Bethune, the late Canadian doctor that Mao Zedong hailed as a revolutionary hero.

Expect whoever becomes Yang’s permanent replacement to exploit the Canada-U.S. trade war for the CCP’s gain.

Global Affairs Canada’s May 2025 directory showed 24 diplomats stationed at the Vancouver Chinese consulate. By comparison, the United States had 17 diplomats.

The directory did not list support staff or contractors.

NEW: Subscribe to theBreaker.news on Substack. Find out how: Click here.

0 Comments

Bob Mackin A video on WeChat shows British

News

Bob Mackin

B.C. Emergency Health Services took one patient to hospital on Aug. 3 in stable condition after the Harbour Princess ran aground off West Vancouver’s Point Atkinson.

Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria told theBreaker.news that it received the call at 11:30 a.m.

“JRCC Victoria dispatched a hovercraft from Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) Station Kitsilano 1 and the CCG Ship Laredo Sound, along with CCG auxiliary boats 1 and 2,” said public information officer Capt. Pedram Mohyeddin. “The Vancouver Police boat Larry Young was also dispatched to the area in addition to the many civilian boats that answered the mayday.”

Before 12:21 p.m., the Harbour Princess had been towed away from eastern Point Atkinson and was moving with its own power.

Seen and heard

The captain of the Harbour Princess told a CCG radio dispatcher that 56 people were on board and two were injured.

theBreaker.news found the Harbour Princess and rescue vessels off the foot of 31st Street in West Vancouver at 12:30 p.m. The hovercraft soon departed southward.

Patient transfer

Four ambulances and a supervisor met the hovercraft at West Spanish Banks in Vancouver and transported the patient to hospital, according to Jenny Peng of Provincial Health Services Authority.

Harbour Princess returned under its own power, but with escort vessels, to dock in Coal Harbour.

More on the Harbour Princess

Part of the Harbour Cruises charter fleet, the 1983-built vessel is 150-feet long, seats up to 180 passengers and can hold 275 standing.

Harbour Cruises has not immediately responded for comment.

Its website advertises three-hour brunch cruises on weekends, launching at 10:30 a.m., for $79 to $149 each.

NEW: Subscribe to theBreaker.news on Substack. Find out how: Click here.

0 Comments

Bob Mackin B.C. Emergency Health Services took one

News, Opinion

For the week of Aug. 3, 2025:

On British Columbia Day weekend, a time to enjoy the parks, forests, mountains, lakes and rivers of B.C. Where 95% of land is owned by the province.

The Public Land Use Society is concerned about the NDP government bypassing the First Nations treaty process and the Legislature to make land management deals that cut public access to public land. It already happened at the popular and picturesque Joffre Lakes.

Public Land Use Society executive director Warren Mirko is Bob Mackin’s guest on this edition of thePodcast.

As usual, Pacific Rim and Pacific Northwest headlines and the Virtual Nanaimo Bar.

CLICK BELOW to listen. Or go to TuneIn, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Have you missed an edition of theBreaker.news Podcast? Go to the archive.

NEW: Subscribe to theBreaker.news on Substack. Find out how: Click here.

theBreaker.news Podcast
theBreaker.news Podcast
thePodcast: Public land access at stake in B.C.
Loading
/
0 Comments

For the week of Aug. 3, 2025:

News, Sports

Bob Mackin

Another casualty of FIFA World Cup 26: the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival will not return to Vancouver’s False Creek until 2027.

B.C. Place Stadium is one of 16 co-hosts of the tournament, with seven matches scheduled from June 13-July 7, 2026. Vancouver’s contract with FIFA, obtained by theBreaker.news, requires road closures and security barriers extending beyond B.C. Place Stadium. It also bans conflicting events around the city.

False Creek paddlers in 2017. (Mackin)

“It is causing quite a bit of disruption to our operations. Our entire year is planned around it. Our entire operations are planned around it,” said Dominic Lai, the senior development, marketing and operations director of the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society.

While it Is the society’s marquee event, the society runs regattas in other communities and it is sustained year-round by one of North America’s biggest paddling clubs. Nonetheless, Lai said it is not be immune from the federal and provincial funding crunch for community events and festivals or the general economic malaise.

Lai said the extent of the land and water closures is vague, because city hall has not provided a map. But he said he was told that club members will continue to be allowed to train in False Creek and the boathouse will remain open. Due to proximity to the Olympic Village, the boathouse was closed during the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Legacy of another mega-event

Hong Kong donated the original dragon boats prior to Expo 86. Since then, the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival has become one of the city’s top summer kickoff traditions.

During the June 20-22, 2025 festival, Lai estimated an audience of 125,000 watched more than 200 teams compete, including 7,500 racers and supporters from 10 countries. He estimated as many as a quarter of participants came from the U.S. and 15% from overseas.

FIFA’s demands

The FIFA contract states that, starting seven days prior to the opening match to seven days after the last one, the city cannot allow any other major sporting event.

Also, “no other substantial cultural events (such as music concerts)” shall be allowed the day before, the day of or the day after a match, except FIFA-approved concerts or events.

City planning

Internal correspondence in February 2022 between a Sport Hosting Vancouver manager and a director of the city’s film and special events office said they were working under the assumption that Expo Boulevard would be closed for the entire period that FIFA is using B.C. Place — 30 days before the first match until a week after the last. Additionally, Pacific Boulevard would be closed on each match day and the day prior.

Beyond B.C. Place’s outer perimeter, the city must create a FIFA-determined “controlled area” where certain commercial activities are banned on each match day and the day prior.

Vancouver must ensure that airspace above and around the stadium is “free and clear of all commercial signage and/or advertising.” That is because FIFA will showcase its own sponsors.

NEW: Subscribe to theBreaker.news on Substack. Find out how: Click here.

0 Comments

Bob Mackin Another casualty of FIFA World Cup

News, Sports

Bob Mackin

Two days before the Whitecaps’ first 2025 match at B.C. Place Stadium, Vancouver city council approved a deal with the club’s principal owner to explore building a new stadium on city-owned land.

A heavily censored, three-page memorandum of understanding (MOU) — obtained by theBreaker.news via freedom of information — contains the signatures of Greg Kerfoot and Andrew Newman, the city’s director of real estate services. Newman’s signature appears above a line that reads: “approved by Vancouver city council on Feb. 25.

On Feb. 27, the Whitecaps blanked Deportivo Saprissa 2-0 in a CONCACAF Champions League match.

From the Whitecaps memorandum of understanding with City of Vancouver for Hastings Park. (CoV/FOI)

The heading on the title page is “Confidential for Discussion Purposes Only” for “Whitecaps FC – Hastings Park” and it is marked “non-binding.”

theBreaker.news reported April 4 — the eve of a civic by-election — that the sides had agreed to the MOU and Hastings Racecourse was the preferred location. The next day, candidates from left-wing OneCity and COPE parties won the two vacant city council seats. Candidates from Mayor Ken Sim’s ABC were the lowest-ranked of all party affiliates.

One full page and paragraphs on two others are censored, leaving the MOU reader to wonder if it contained financial terms. What is visible? A confidentiality clause.

Obtained by theBreaker.news via freedom of information.

“The parties agree to keep the contents of this (censored) confidential and not to disclose it to third parties, except with prior written consent of the other party. In expressing its consent for disclosure to a third party, that consenting party may require that the third party enter into a non-disclosure agreement with the consenting party prior to such disclosure.”

In December, the Whitecaps announced they hired Goldman Sachs to find a buyer.

During Major League Soccer All-Star week in Austin, Texas, league commissioner Don Garber said July 23 that the Whitecaps “don’t have a viable stadium situation.”

The Whitecaps and BC Lions are the anchor tenants of 1983-built, 2011-renovated B.C. Place, which is undergoing $109 million in pre-FIFA World Cup 26 renovations. The Whitecaps were forced to move a home playoff game last fall to Portland due to a scheduling conflict with Supercross.

Hastings Racecourse has operated as a thoroughbred horseracing venue since 1892. Slot machines were added in 2008, but the casino has not lived up to expectations for leaseholder Great Canadian Entertainment. On June 6, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation announced it was negotiating to buy the casino and lease.

NEW: Subscribe to theBreaker.news on Substack. Find out how: Click here.

0 Comments

Bob Mackin Two days before the Whitecaps’ first

News, Opinion

For the week of July 27, 2025:

What do governments of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories have in common with governments of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska? 

They are all members of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, or PNWER, and they met July 20-24 in Bellevue, Wash. for their annual summit.

Donald Trump’s trade war dominated discourse, according to Barry Penner, the former PNWER president and former B.C. cabinet minister. 

Penner is Bob Mackin’s guest on this edition of thePodcast. 

Also, on this edition, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington) and B.C. Premier David Eby

As usual, Pacific Rim and Pacific Northwest headlines and the Virtual Nanaimo Bar.

CLICK BELOW to listen. Or go to TuneIn, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Have you missed an edition of theBreaker.news Podcast? Go to the archive.

NEW: Subscribe to theBreaker.news on Substack. Find out how: Click here.

theBreaker.news Podcast
theBreaker.news Podcast
thePodcast: Penner on PNWER - regional summit talks Trump and FIFA
Loading
/
0 Comments

For the week of July 27, 2025:

News

Bob Mackin

Before and after Conservative Party of B.C. leader John Rustad slammed the NDP government for allowing BC Ferries to hire a China state-owned shipbuilder, two of his rookie Richmond MLAs attended events that promote the Chinese government.

Now the caucus has quietly parted ways with two brothers working as aides for Hon Chan (Richmond Centre) and Steve Kooner (Richmond-Queensborough).

Conservative MLAs Steve Kooner (left) and Hon Chan, June 20, 2025 at the PNE. (Mackin)

Rustad’s chief of staff, Brad Zubyk, confirmed July 24 to theBreaker.news that contracts were ended with Tony Tu, a constituency worker for Chan, and William Tu, a community outreach worker for Kooner.

The moves came after a July 21 WeChat article and July 22 YouTube video by Bing Chen (Benson) Gao, who writes and livestreams under the name Huang Hebian. Gao reported that the Tu brothers are sons of a businessman from Shenyang, China named Du Rongsheng, who is also known as Herman Tu and is the subject of fraud allegations.

theBreaker.news sought comment from Kooner, Chan and William Tu. They have yet to respond.

Rustad said July 23 that he was aware of the matter and his staff was reaching out to the MLAs involved, but was unable to comment further due to it being a human resources issue.

The next morning, Zubyk said that a discussion took place with Chan, Kooner and the brothers to terminate their contracts.

“It was explained to them it may become a distraction so it would probably be best this way,” Zubyk said. “It’s my understanding the conversations went well.”

William (left) and Tony Tu. (WeChat)

Zubyk said the brothers had been in Canada for more than a decade and the decision had nothing to do with their work.

“I see no evidence that they themselves are involved in any [improper] activity,” he said.

An Instagram account said William Tu founded the Canadian Star Charitable Foundation when he was 16, went on to study at Simon Fraser University, obtain a pilot’s licence and participate in political activities.

Chan and Kooner both attended the Chinese consulate’s May 31 event marking 30 years of B.C.’s sister province relationship with Guangdong. Chan also sat at the VIP table with Consul-Gen. Yang Shu at a banquet marking 55 years of Canada-China diplomatic relations.

Kooner attended a news conference to promote the July 27 Water-Splashing Festival at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. The organizer, Canadian Community Service Association, is one of the top three local organizations aligned with the consulate.

NEW: Subscribe to theBreaker.news on Substack. Find out how: Click here.

0 Comments

Bob Mackin Before and after Conservative Party of

m
About Us

theBreaker.news and theBreaker.news Podcast: your source for news, opinion and analysis about British Columbia issues, institutions and influencers.

Contact
theBreaker is located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and published by Bob Mackin.
Email: bob@thebreaker.news
Send tips via secure Protonmail theBreakernews@protonmail.com
Support theBreaker.news
For as low as $2 a month, you can help support theBreaker.news on Patreon
Support theBreaker.news on Patreon
Find out how by clicking here!